Chris Bowen's Bloghttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen
Development Practices, Tools, Technology, and CommunityFri, 24 Jul 2015 05:17:02 +0000en-UShourly1A New Chapter at Microsofthttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/07/30/a-new-chapter-at-microsoft/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/07/30/a-new-chapter-at-microsoft/#commentsTue, 30 Jul 2013 13:11:35 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/07/30/a-new-chapter-at-microsoft/I have a bit of personal news to share. I have a new job, which I’ve already begun!

After about 6.5 years as a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, starting this month I’ve taken on a new role. Still at Microsoft, still in the DPE (Developer Platform Evangelism) family, and still in New England, I am now a Technical Specialist for Visual Studio!

There’s a lot that’s new in the role, but the short version is I’ll be working more closely with area companies on development practices, tools, and adoption, focusing on Visual Studio (if you’ve seen me speak, you know how enthusiastic I am about it) and Visual Studio ALM (Application Lifecycle Management), which I co-authored a book on in the first days of what was then called “Visual Studio Team System”, so I’ve been a fan for a long time.

Though I’ll generally be trading public events for more direct customer engagements, I’m still here, in and around the community, and you’ll see me at major events like product launches and Code Camps. Of course, you can expect much more on Visual Studio and ALM, and given all that’s new, there’s plenty to say.

Onward! -Chris

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/07/30/a-new-chapter-at-microsoft/feed/2The Northeast MSDN Roadshow – “Mashed APIs” Tourhttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/31/the-northeast-msdn-roadshow-mashed-apis-tour/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/31/the-northeast-msdn-roadshow-mashed-apis-tour/#respondFri, 31 May 2013 08:25:06 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/31/the-northeast-msdn-roadshow-mashed-apis-tour/Get ready to learn and code, because the Northeast MSDN Roadshow team is loading up content, code, and demos that might even work, to return to the roads for a special limited engagement in June!

These are free workshops, great for students, hobbyists, and professional developers who want to learn the basics of Windows 8 app development and publish their first app to the Windows Store. Fans of previous daytime Roadshows will notice that we have sneakily adapted these as evening, hands-on events, hosted by local user groups.

Enter the API…

There’s a world of amazing things out there, just an API call away. These workshops will show you how to tap into a sampling of the tens of thousands of them, mercilessly mashing APIs to create your own Windows Store app. Your app could inform, entertain, or even change the world!

We’ll be conquering the miles, fueled by coffee and visions of your awesome apps, to help you learn to create Windows 8 apps using well-known web service APIs such as Twitter, Meetup, Yelp, ESPN, EchoNest, World Health Organization, and others.

First, we’ll take a bit of time to teach you the essentials for creating your Windows Store app, including APIs, data, and UIs. The rest of the time will be hands-on – so bring those laptops (see below) - using a set of API Starter Kits our team developed to get you mashing quickly. The Starter Kits are Visual Studio 2012 projects, each already wired to one or more APIs. They take care of the API plumbing so you can focus on providing the creativity!

The Schedule (updated!)

Thanks to these amazing user groups hosting our visits, we’ll be stopping in these cities:

Registration - These are user group events, so see the hosting user groups’ website for details and RSVPs (if any). Thanks to the groups and the organizations who host their meetings for making this possible!

Note that these are in addition to the Saturday workshops on API and game development we’re running in the Hartford and Boston areas:

Apps you develop could qualify you for $100 via the “Keep the Cash” program (running through June 30th). Also, for continued learning and access to other developer programs, we highly recommend signing up for the free App Builder program.

See you on the road!

-Chris

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/31/the-northeast-msdn-roadshow-mashed-apis-tour/feed/0Tech & Developer Events in the Northeast – May/June 2013https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/20/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-mayjune-2013/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/20/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-mayjune-2013/#respondMon, 20 May 2013 11:18:21 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/20/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-mayjune-2013/Here’s the latest roundup of tech- and developer-focused events here in the northeastern US (and several online). Most are free, but the exceptions are noted with [$].

Online

Now Through June 20 Windows 8 Hands-On Labs OnlineLive presentation and work on lab exercises, with experts offering assistance (by chatting with you one-on-one or by virtually taking control of your lab)

June 1 MSDN Event – Game Development for Beginners – Farmington, CT Join Microsoft’s Chris Bowen to build a game with Construct 2, even if you’ve never programmed before. You’ll get assistance from getting started through publishing your game to the Windows Store! (Repeats on 6/15 & 29, so join whichever works best for you, or more than one if you’d like!)

June 8 MSDN Event – Windows 8 Mashup Series – Farmington, CT Join Microsoft to learn about tapping into the world of APIs to create your own Windows Store app. This event is part-lecture, and part hands-on, so bring a laptop with Windows 8 and get ready to code! (This workshop repeats, but with a different API, on 6/22, so join whichever works best for you, or more than one if you’d like!)

June 15 MSDN Event – Game Development for Beginners– Farmington, CT Join Microsoft’s Chris Bowen to build a game with Construct 2, even if you’ve never programmed before. You’ll get assistance from getting started through publishing your game to the Windows Store! (This workshop repeats on 6/29, so join whichever works best for you, or more than one if you’d like!)

June 22 MSDN Event – Windows 8 Mashup Series – Farmington, CT Join Microsoft’s Chris Bowen to learn about tapping into the world of APIs to create your own Windows Store app. This event is part-lecture, and part hands-on, so bring a laptop with Windows 8 and get ready to code!

June 29 MSDN Event – Game Development for Beginners– Farmington, CT Join Microsoft to build a game with Construct 2, even if you’ve never programmed before. You’ll get assistance from getting started through publishing your game to the Windows Store!

June 1 MSDN Event – Windows 8 Mashup Series – Cambridge, MA Join Microsoft to learn about tapping into the world of APIs to create your own Windows Store app. This event is part-lecture, and part hands-on, so bring a laptop with Windows 8 and get ready to code! (This workshop repeats, but with a different API, on June 15th, so join whichever works best for your schedule, or more than one if you’d like!)

June 15 MSDN Event – Windows 8 Mashup Series – Cambridge, MA Join Microsoft to learn about tapping into the world of APIs to create your own Windows Store app. This event is part-lecture, and part hands-on, so bring a laptop with Windows 8 and get ready to code!

June 22 MSDN Event: Game Development for Beginners – Cambridge, MA Join Microsoft to build a game with Construct 2, even if you’ve never programmed before. You’ll get assistance from getting started through publishing your game to the Windows Store!

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/05/20/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-mayjune-2013/feed/0Game Development with Construct 2 – Templates for Windows 8https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/21/game-development-with-construct-2-templates-for-windows-8/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/21/game-development-with-construct-2-templates-for-windows-8/#commentsSun, 21 Apr 2013 07:50:50 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/21/game-development-with-construct-2-templates-for-windows-8/As you consider your Windows 8 game development options, have a look at Construct 2 by Scirra. It helps you create games quickly, providing a visual, no-coding-required experience supporting a number of platforms, including the Windows Store and Windows Phone. (And behind the scenes, games are based on JavaScript and HTML5!)

Getting Started with Construct 2

There’s a free version of Construct 2 available (just read the terms so you know what’s supported) and plenty of resources to help you learn:

Game Templates

When you create a new project, you’ll see many helpful options, from simple examples to full games with walkthroughs. Nine of these (named “Template: …”) are game starters, including platformer, driving, turret defense, and other types of games. You should try each of them and look through them to see how they work.

Construct 2 supports publishing Windows Store games, but you need to support a few things, so I’ve extended the nine included game templates with features like the Windows 8 object, a “Pause" layer, snapped view support (with game pause), touch support, and some project property updates.

Publishing Your Game

After you select a template, you’ll want to customize the game to your liking with new images, mechanics, sounds… whatever you can imagine! When you’re ready to publish to the Windows Store, just follow these steps.

And with each game you publish, you can earn money with the Keep the Cash offer through June 30, 2013!

Enjoy! And drop me a line if you find these useful or have any recommendations to make them more helpful.

-Chris

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/21/game-development-with-construct-2-templates-for-windows-8/feed/2Tech & Developer Events in the Northeast – April 2013https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-april-2013/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-april-2013/#respondMon, 01 Apr 2013 13:57:36 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/04/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-april-2013/Here’s the latest roundup of tech- and developer-focused events here in the northeastern US (and several online). Most are free, but the exceptions are noted with [$].

Online

Now Through April 30 Windows 8 Hands-On Labs OnlineLive presentation and work on lab exercises, with experts offering assistance (by chatting with you one-on-one or by virtually taking control of your lab)

April 26-28 New England GiveCamp 2013 – Cambridge, MA ”GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals – including designers, developers and database administrators as well as marketers and web strategists – donate their time and unique talents to provide software solutions for local charities and other non-profit organizations”

Code Camps are free events, held outside of regular work hours, organized by and for the developer community, offering a chance to learn, share, and network. They started here in New England in 2004 and have spread worldwide.

What kind of stuff might you see? Anything for tech pros and developers is fair game, and specific topics vary camp to camp, but take a look at the previous camp’s schedule to get an idea of how things work.

Call for Speakers (Through 2/22)

From first-time presenters to veterans of national conferences, Code Camps are made great because we hear from many perspectives – including yours. Have something to share? The community wants to hear from you!

How? Just create an account on the BCC site, then log in to submit as many session abstracts as you like. Proposals can be for any technology topic and sessions will likely be 70 minutes long.

However, don’t wait. The Call for Speakers will close on February 22nd.

Support Boston Code Camp

Contributors (aka sponsors) are an important part of each Code Camp, providing the fuel for a day-long Code Camp experience.

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2013/02/15/boston-code-camp-19-march-9-2012/feed/0Tech & Developer Events in the Northeast – December 2012 Editionhttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/12/04/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-december-2012-edition/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/12/04/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-december-2012-edition/#respondTue, 04 Dec 2012 05:21:02 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/12/04/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-december-2012-edition/Here’s the latest roundup of tech- and developer-focused events here in the northeastern US (and several online). Most are free, but the exceptions are noted with [$].

Online

Now Through January 11 Windows 8 Hands-On Labs OnlineLive presentation and work on lab exercises, with experts offering assistance (by chatting with you one-on-one or by virtually taking control of your lab)

A major series of free, full-day product launch events for Windows 8, Visual Studio 2012, Windows Server, and more begins on October 30th:

Attend a FREE one-day event and be part of the biggest product launch in our history. You’ll discover how the latest Microsoft technologies are transforming the way people work—from developers and managers to executives in the C-suite. The New Era of Work is here.

Each city will feature one or more of the following tracks of content: Developer, Developer Manager, IT Professional, IT Executive, and Business Executive.

]]>https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/10/08/microsoft-2012-launch-event-series-windows-8-visual-studio-2012-and-more/feed/10Tech & Developer Events in the Northeast – October 2012 Editionhttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/10/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-october-2012-edition/
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/10/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-october-2012-edition/#respondMon, 01 Oct 2012 09:38:43 +0000https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cbowen/2012/10/01/tech-developer-events-in-the-northeast-october-2012-edition/Here’s the latest roundup of tech- and developer-focused events here in the northeastern US (and several online). Most are free, but the exceptions are noted with [$].

Online

Now Through October 25 Windows 8 Hands-On Labs Online”Hands-on Labs Online (HOLOs) are online events where you listen to a live presentation and work on lab exercises. As you work on your labs, Microsoft experts can assist and provide guidance by chatting with you one-on-one or by virtually taking control of your lab.”